Blumea 61, 2016: 20–23 www.ingentaconnect.com/content/nhn/blumea RESEARCH ARTICLE http://dx.doi.org/10.3767/000651916X691204 Alsophila weidenbrueckii (Cyatheaceae), a new scaly tree fern from Papua New Guinea M. Lehnert1 Key words Abstract The scaly tree fern Alsophila weidenbrueckii is described and illustrated as new to science. It occurs in the Bismarck range in north-eastern New Guinea at 1200–2100 m in evergreen wet mountain forest. The species Bismarck range reaches maturity at a comparatively old age and large size and regenerates only in intact forests on mineral soil Malesia exposed by small landslides or tree falls. scaly tree ferns sphaeropteroid indusia Published on 26 February 2016 INTRODUCTION Sen 1961), few new discoveries have been reported from the Malesian region (Hovenkamp & De Joncheere 1988, Kato Cyatheaceae or scaly tree ferns comprise c. 600 spp. distributed 1990, Takeuchi 2007). This may speak for Holttum’s insight and in the tropics, subtropics and southern temperate regions (Smith thoroughness, but certainly also reflects the logistic difficulties et al. 2006). For a long time two conflicting generic systems an island archipelago poses to scientific exploration. existed for the family. Holttum (1963) recognized only one Within the Malesian region, the island of New Guinea is still universal genus Cyathea with subgenera and sections based covered with pristine forests and is suspected to harbour many on his studies focused on Paleotropical species (Holttum 1957, species unknown to science (Mittermeier et al. 2003). I was Holttum & Sen 1961), whereas Tryon (1970, 1976) recognized fortunate to study New Guinean scaly tree ferns in vivo during six genera from his insights gained mainly from Neotropical two botanical fieldtrips, first to the Vogelkop Peninsula and the taxa. A controversy ensued that was not settled during the area of Lake Habbema in the Indonesian part in March 2011, authors’ lifetime (Holttum & Tryon 1977). Genera currently then to the north-eastern highlands (Bismarck range) of Papua supported by phylogenetic analyses and autapomorphies are New Guinea in August 2014. On these occasions, the commu- Sphaeropteris Bernh., Alsophila A.Br. (including Gymnosphaera nity composition of the lycophytes and ferns was investigated Blume, Nephelea R.M.Tryon) and Cyathea J.Sm. (including along elevational transects from the lowland to above the tree Cnemidaria C.Presl, Trichopteris C.Presl, Hymenophyllopsis line, with eight plots of 400 m2 every 500 m (see Karger et al. Goebel). Sphaeropteris, characterized by petiole scales lack- 2014). The distances between the plots and most plot sites ing differentiated margins, is usually resolved as sister to the were covered by foot and across zonal and azonal vegetation remaining clades, which share petiole scales with differentiated types of varying degrees of degradation, so the ecological ob- margins (Korall et al. 2007, Korall & Pryer 2014). Among these, servations on the documented fern species may be regarded the so-called Gymnosphaera clade (c. 30 spp.) is sometimes as exhaustive. resolved as sister to Cyathea, sometimes to Alsophila, but always on a weakly supported branch that collapses in strict While working in the Bismarck range of Papua New Guinea in consensus analyses (Korall & Pryer 2014). Species of the 2014, some juvenile tree ferns of the genus Alsophila (Alsophila Gymnosphaera clade have no commonly shared character that clade) were found at 2065 m that showed a characteristic sets them apart from the rest of the scaly tree ferns. Rather morphology with reddish brown trunks without petiole bases, they retain characters that are interpreted as ancestral, like 64 colourful dark brown to blackish petioles and frond axes and spores per sporangium (reduced to 16 in Alsophila) and apical deep green fronds. They were only seen on three occasions at setae in the petiole scales (lost in Cyathea). Tryon (1970) sub- the plot sites on the root discs of large overturned trees, where sumed the name Gymnosphaera under Alsophila, and it seems the young plants rooted in the still exposed mineral substrate. wiser for the stability of nomenclature to keep it that way until it None were found elsewhere in the understory where other has been unambiguously proven that both are not sister clades species of the genus were quite abundant in different sizes and and that Gymnosphaera has to be resurrected as a genus to ages. In a gorge nearby, a small group of larger plants of this reflect natural relationships (Smith et al. 2006, Christenhusz species was observed with trunks to 2.5 m tall. Only after closer et al. 2011, Christenhusz & Chase 2014). inspection it became clear that these, too, had germinated on Cyatheaceae are especially diverse in wet mountain forests, a root disc of a fallen tree (of c. 80 cm trunk dbh) and despite and many new species have been discovered in the Neotropics their size and exposure to sunlight, these plants were still sterile. during the past years (see Lehnert 2011 and references there- The species became more frequent towards lower elevations, in). However, since Holttum’s revisionary work of the Paleo- always connected with tree fall gaps and small landslides in tropics (Holttum 1963, 1964, 1965, 1981a, b, 1982, Holttum & mature forest with little human impact. Fertile plants were first observed at 1700 m, and these were at least 4 m tall, whereas several larger plants ranging from 2 m tall growing nearby 1 Nees-Institut für Biodiversität der Pflanzen, Rheinische Friedrich Wilhelms- Universität Bonn, Meckenheimer Allee 170, D-53115 Bonn, Germany; were still sterile. This is an interesting demography since [email protected]. most Cyatheaceae start sporulation when reaching 2 m trunk © 2016 Naturalis Biodiversity Center You are free to share - to copy, distribute and transmit the work, under the following conditions: Attribution: You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). Non-commercial: You may not use this work for commercial purposes. No derivative works: You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work. For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work, which can be found at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/legalcode. Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder. Nothing in this license impairs or restricts the author’s moral rights. M. Lehnert: Alsophila weidenbrueckii 21 height if not before. This species was absent above 2200 m ally scabrous, costae not green-alate between the pinnules in and below 1200 m, and was not seen in disturbed forests distal half. Pinnae to 60 by 20 cm, sessile, towards the lamina with open canopy and undergrowth dominated by grasses. base also stalked to 6 cm, 11–12 pairs, often opposite or nearly The fertile specimen showed that the species belongs to a so, basal ones patent to weakly reflexed, more than 1/2 the small group within the genus Alsophila that is characterized length of the longest central pinnae. Largest pinnules to 100 by completely closed (so-called sphaeropteroid) indusia that by 25 mm, linear-lanceolate to narrowly triangular, sessile to remain as few large, clear-cut fragments in mature sori (Holt- subsessile, the stalk to 1 mm long and hidden between the tum 1963). Based on previous field experience, it was assumed segments, base weakly cuneate, fully pinnate in lower half, from first sight that this species was unknown to science, and basal segments free, pinnules apically attenuate; segments consultation of literature and online resources confirmed that to 14 by 3 mm, in smaller segments the margins subentire, in it is morphologically separable from all other species of the larger segments coarsely crenate to inciso-serrate, veins flat sphaeropteroid indusiate group. It is here described as new to to weakly raised and not contrasting adaxially, flat to weakly science. Terminology of anatomical features follows Lellinger immersed and contrasting dark with laminar tissue abaxially, (2002) and Lehnert (2011). fertile veins forked. Sori proximal, to 1.0 mm diam, each with c. 40 sporangia, deeply castaneous in fresh material; indusia Alsophila weidenbrueckii Lehnert, sp. nov. — Fig. 1 subsphaeropteroid to sphaeropteroid without umbo, papery, brown when dry, not translucent, receptacles globose, c. 0.2 A newly recognized species of Alsophila with sphaeropteroid indusia, mm diam; paraphyses absent or very few, straight, shorter bipinnate-pinnatifid to tripinnate laminae and fine scurf of setate squamules than sporangia, < 0.1 mm long. Spores not examined. Hairs which stands out among its most similar congeners A. archboldii (C.Chr.) and scales: Frond axes adaxially with pale brown to white, R.M.Tryon and A. foersteri (Rosenst.) R.M.Tryon by having dark brown peti- oles and frond axes (vs stramineous to pale brown), smaller petiole scales sometimes translucent multicellular hairs, antrorsely curved (c. 11 by 2 mm vs to 20 by 3 mm) and a sparser indument of smaller setate ones 1.0 mm long, with longer spreading ones, quite dense squamules on midveins and veins abaxially (to 0.2 mm long vs mostly 0.5–1 except on central and lower rhachises, abaxially without hairs, mm long, characteristically dense in A. archboldii, variable in A. foersteri). frond axes abaxially with ample fine scurf like indument on Alsophila weidenbrueckii further has long petioles that shed cleanly from the petioles, consisting of reddish brown, flat setate squamules trunk (just as in A. archboldii vs petiole bases persisting in A. foersteri) and to 0.2 mm long, also present on costules, midveins and veins basal pinnae that are not greatly reduced in size (usually more than half the but here paler and sparser; costules and midveins also with length of longest pinna, just as in A.